Potato-planter



(No Model.)

F. F. WOLGAMUTH. POTATO PLANTER.

Patented My 14, 1895.

Whwsse $153. y?

UNM@ STATES i ATEN" meros.

FRANCIS F. WOLGAMUTH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA;

A PoTATO-PLANTER.

SPECIFIGATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 539,243Fclated May 14, 1895.

Application led December 27,1894. Serial No. 533,100. (No model.)

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is asectional view of my improved potato-planting machine. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the upper portion of the machine. Fig. 3 is a detached view showing the clutch by which one or both wheels are geared to the axle. Fig. et is a View of av modification of my invention. Y

A is the axle to which are secured, inthe present instance, two wheels a, ot. On the axle is a clutch sleeve a having teeth which engage with teeth on the yhub of the sprocket wheel B. A spring a2 tends to keep the sleeve in gear with the sprocket wheel and the teeth are so set that the vwheel will be driven forward when the machine is pushed forward but will not be driven when the machine is reversed.

Swiveled to the axleA is a frame C consisting of the two side bars and cross bars. Mounted on said frame are bearings for the shaft D on which is a sprocket wheel D and passing around the sprocket wheels B and D is a chain cl, carrying receptacles'or pans e for the potato sets. Y The pans have lips e extending at the front and slightly inclined so as to prevent the potato sets falling out of the pans before they reach a point near the ground, preventing the scattering of the sets in the furrow.

Hinged to the shaft D is an arm E, yokedl in the present instance, and extending across the arm is a small shaft F having a pin f for engaging the potato set. This shaft F has an arm f connected to a link F', pivoted at f 2 to a frame G mounted on the frame C and shaft D. A spring fon the small shaft F tends to keep ythe pin f at right angles to the arm E and in proper position to engage with a set in the hopper.

On the arm E are blocks c' with which lugs e2 on the pans c engage. These blocks t' slide on the arm E and have projections e" which rest in ways g in the plates G. These .ways areconcentric with the wheel D except at one point, at the end vwhere the blocks are drawn up clear of the lugs on the pans e. A spring or springs E return the arm to its normal position, as shown in Fig. l.

Projecting from the arm Eis a forked plate Icthrough which the pin fpasses so that when the pin is moved to the position shown in Fig. 2, the plate la forces the potato yset from the pin into a pan. v c

M is the hopper having a spout m into which the sets are fed, preferably in a single row so that the leading set will be engaged by the pin f. A valve or gate m regulates the feed from the hopper tothe spout.

In Fig. 4, I have shown a tube D2 as a substitute for the conveyer-chain and pans c. In this instance a drive,y chain may be used having lugs which engage with the feeding device. The pin carries the potato set from the spout m to the mouth of the tube. It is then 'released from the pin and passes through the tube to the furrow.

. The operation of the machine is as follows: The furrow is made bya plow (not shownland the hopper M is illed with potato sets properly cut and some of the potato sets passinto the trough m. The machine is grasped by the handles and pushed forward in the furrow and asit is moved forward motion is imparted to the chain d having the receptacle e, and as the receptacle turns around the wheel D its lugs c2 come in contact with .the lug or lugs e' on the arm E having the pin, carrying the arm forward in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1. As the arm moves forward the pin is turned on its pivot and the potato is drawn off the pin by the forked plate 7o and falls into the pan which is now directly under the pin and as the pin moves forward'the lug on the sliding block is raised by the cam slide in the plate G so as to clear the lug e2 on the pan. The potato set is then carried by the pan down to the furrow and the potato is prevented from falling out of the pan by the lip and when the pan is nearly' inverted the potato falls into the furrow. In the meantime as soon as the arm carrying the pin is released it is drawn back by its springE and engages with am other potato set ready for the next pan. Thus the potatoes are set in a furrow at the proper distance apart. The distance however, Acan be regulated by the placing of pins upon the chain as more or less links can be'used in the chain and the number of pans can be varied. Although I have described two traction wheels it will be understood that one traction wheel may be used if more convenient and it Will also be understood that the lugs c2 may be on the chain d instead of on the pans e.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination in a potato planter, of the pivoted arm, a pin carried thereby and having a movement independent of the arm,

a hopper and a conveyor, with mechanism for operating the arm so that the pin will transl fer a potato set from the hopper to the conl plate having the cam slot engaging with the veyer, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the traction wheel, its shaft, a sprocket wheel thereon, ashaft D also having a. sprocket wheel, a chain or belt passing around said sprocket wheels, a pivotcd arm, a conveyer, a pin carried by said arm, said pin having a movement independent of the arm, a hopper and mechanism for t operating the pin so that it will engage a potato set in the hopper and transfer it to the conveyer, lugs on the chain for actuating the arm, substantially as described.

3. The combination of ahandled frame, the

shaft, traction Wheel, sprocket Wheel on the shaft, a shaft D mounted on the frame and having asprocket wheel,abelt passing around y the said sprocket wheels, pans on the said belt and lugs, with a hopper, an arm pivot'ed to the shaft D, a pin carried by the arm having a inovementindependent of the arm, said arm having a projection adapted to be struck by the lugs on the belt so that the pin will carry a potato set from the hopper and dis charge it into one of the pans, substantially as described.

4Q The combination of the frame, the shaft, l

thereon, a chain belt passing around the two sprocket Wheels, pans on the'said belt adapted to receive the potato sets and discharge them into a furrow, the hopper having a trough, a pivoted arm on the shaft D, a shaft carried by said arm having a pin adapted to engage with a potato set, a crank on said shaft, a link connected to said crank, a forked plate through which the pin passes, a lug on each pan adapted to engage with the pivoted arm so that a potato set will be carried bythe pin i from the hopper and discharged into the pan,

substantially as described.

5. AThe combination of a frame, the shaft, traction Wheel and sprocket wheel thereon, the shaft D carried by the frame, its sprocket Wheel, chain belt passing around the sprocket wheels, pans on said belt, a hopper, an arm pivoted on the shaft, a block on the arm, a

block, lugs on the pans also engaging With the block, a shaft carried by the arm having a pin adapted to engage with the potato set, a crank on said shaft, a link connected to said crank and pivoted to the fixed portionv of the machine, aspring for returning the pin to its normal position, and a spring for returning the arm to its normal position when released from `control of the lug on the pan, substantially as described. t

6. The combination in a potato planter, of the traction Wheel, its shaft, sprocket Wheel on said shaft, a sprocket wheel D, belt wheels on said shaft, and abelt wheel D, pans on said belt Wheel for the reception of the potato seed, each 4pan having an extension at the forward end to prevent the discharge of the potato set before the pan reaches a certain position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence ol' two subscribing Witnesses.

FRANCIS F. W'OLGAMUll-I.

W'itnesses:

HENRY IYIoWsoN, JOSEPH II. KLEIN. 

